Napoleon bonaparte spradley



(No Model.)

N. B. SPRADLEY.

FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTER.

No. 400,136. Patented Mar. 26, 1 889.

jnvenior.

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N. 'P'ETERS, Pmuo-Lnho mr, Wauhlngtop. D. Q

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NAPOLEON BONAPARTE SPRADL'EY, OF ASIIVILLE, ALABAMA, ASSIGNOR CF ONE-llALF-TC JOSEPH P. CALDIVELLOF SAME PLACE.

FERTILIZER-DISTRIBUTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 400,136, dated March 26, 1889.

Application filed December 29, 1888. Serial No. 294,918. (No model.) I

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, NAPOLEON BONAPARTE SPRADLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ashville, in the county of St. Clair and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fertilizer- Distributers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to fertilizer-distributers; and it is my object to provide a distributer of simple and economical construction which shall be adapted to cope with different grades of manures, and shall be provided with suitable apparatus to prevent choking in the hopper.

My invention consists in producing a bottomless hopper mounted on wheels, with a central hub revolving with the axle and provided with dodge blades or knives to pass between or dodge stationary knives, the latter to be adjustable to suit different grades of manure.

My invention also consists in providing said hopper with suitable means for preventing the same from becoming choked in using coarse manures.

My invention further consists in the parts and combinations of parts hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a plan View of the bottom of my machine; Fig. 2, a vertical section on the line on .r, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3, a detail perspective view of the clutch device. 7

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A represents the wheels for supporting the machine; and 13, an axle on which said wheels are loosely mounted, whereby they may turn on the same. The axle B is formed of a square shaft of metal or other suitable material having spindles formed on each end and round bearing portions 0 near each end to run in the hearings or journals (1, secured to the under sides of the side bars,D. At each end of the bars I) cross-bars E E are secured, and to the bars E the thills 0r shafts M are bolted.

rial.

like

El formed in the same at about its center; and C C represent longitudinal bars, which are attached to the bottom of the hopper C on each side of the opening therein.

D represents a central hub secured to the center of the axle and provided with a series of radial dodge-blades, d, projecting therefrom and arranged staggering about the hub, so as to break joint with each other.

To the crossbar E is secured three or more adjustable curved blades, 6 e, by means of thumb-screws r, so that they may be readily moved back and forth in the slot to adjust the distance between said blades 6 e.

To the cross-bar E a clearing-blade, K, is secured, which projects between the radial blades (Z toward the hub D, whereby said blades (1 will be kept tree of clogging materepresents a cross-bar having a slot, m,

F represents slides having slots 9 formed therein near their inner ends, through which thumb-screws f are inserted into the bars C on each side of the opening in the hopper, whereby they may be adjusted to enlarge or contract the opening through which the manure escapes on each side of the outer series of blades, (1, and F F represent similar slides secured to the same bars by like means at the rear of the machine, said slides having the projecting portion f on one side of their inner ends, to better close the escape-openin g at therear of the machine.

In one of the hubs of the wheels A a notch, a, is formed, and a sliding clutch, a, is secured to the axle on the same side, said clutch consisting of the bands a loosely fitted to the axle and a bar, I), one end of said bar being bent downwardly to form a handle, and the opposite end is turned at right angles to the fiat surface of the bar to form a tooth, I), which engages the notch a of thehub to hold the wheel in engagement with the axle, so as to turn with the same.-

shown in connection with one wheel only; but two may be used, one to each wheel, if desired.

The hopper C is rigidly fastened to the cross-pieces C C, and said cross-pieces are in The clutch device is manner fastened to the cross-bars E E The slides F F prevent thehoppcr chok-v ing, any tendency to which being overcome by operating the slides to open the spaces they occupy, and thus enlarge the open bottom of the hopper.

The hub i) is rigidly fastened to the axle, and may be made of wood or other material, and is provided with two series of radial blades, though any desired number of series may be used. Said series of blades pass in dillerent vertical planes, alternate blades of either series, one at a time, passing between the stationary blades, the object being that the driving-power is virtually acting upon one blade at a time at the point of greatest resistance. The stationary blades r2 e are curved downwardly, giving them greater strength and a more effective cutting-edge, owing to the greater length obtained by curving them. The Hat metal blade K, fastened to the crossbar E should be just Wide enough to permit the passage of the radial dodge-blades (I. This blade serves, as do the rear slides, F, to clean the blades from any straw or manure that may be clinging to them and. preventit from being carried again to the hopper. Said blade also serves, as do said slides, to prevent the manure from passing out of the hopper in ca."- rying the same to the place of distribution. The open bottom of the hopper is practically closed, when the distributer is not in, operation, by the hub, the radial and statitmarv blades, the adjustable slides, and fiat blade K. The lower part of the front and rear Walls of the hopper are cut away in order to permit the blades (Z to revolve.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, in a t'ertilizer-distributer, with the open-bottomed hopper and the revolving hub carrying the radial blades (I, said blades being arranged staggering across said hub, of the curved stationary blades adjustably secured to the frame of the machine, substantially as described.

In a fertilizer-distributer, the combination of the open-bottomed hopper, the hub having the series of radial blades arranged staggering across the same, the cross-bar having a slot therein, the stationary blades adjustab'ly secured in said slot, the cross-bar E the stationary clearing-blade secured to said bar E and the adjustable slide arranged in front and in rear of said central hub, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I ailix in y signature in presence of two Witnesses.

NAPOLEON BONAPA lt'l ll S P [hi I) lll l Y.

XVitnesses:

JNo. l3. BAss, If. I. oX. 

